Cars.com recently announced something that we’ve known all along: The 2016 Nissan Murano is the best mid-sized SUV on the market for under $45,000. Or, at the very least, they’ve declared that their team of experts (and one couple who are in the market for a mid-sized SUV) liked it better than four other competitively-priced mid-sized SUVs.
Meet the Challengers
The Cars.com team, which consisted of three of the website’s editors and the producer of PBS’ “MotorWeek” in addition to the shopping couple, compared the 2016 Nissan Murano to the 2016 Ford Edge, 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2017 Kia Sorento and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. They judged each of the vehicles across a wide spectrum of criteria. Basically, they were judging the vehicles on all the kinds of things you buy a mid-size SUV for. Is it comfortable? Is it roomy? Is it powerful? How much stuff can I store and haul in it? How are the tech features?
If you’ve driven a Murano, you already know it seats five comfortably. The testers certainly came to that conclusion, with the shopping couple particularly noting that the seating was a cut above and that the cabin was roomy (one of the couple described himself as a larger man and said he was surprised by how comfortable the seating is).
Who Crossed the Finish Line First? Last?
Of course, the 2016 Nissan Murano scored highest. The Murano earned 811 points from the judges (we won’t go into detail about their scoring system, but the basics are available on the Cars.com website if you’re curious). Coming in behind the Murano are the Ford Edge, with 779 points, the Kia Sorento, with 740 points, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, with 706 points and, bringing up the rear, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, with 694 points.
The Murano won on points by finishing at or near the top in the vast majority of categories, but comfort, power, fuel economy and superior tech features – especially safety features – were cited as some of the best-liked features of the Murano. Cars.com’s senior editor went so far as to suggest that the Murano seemed a bit like a luxury SUV – high praise, indeed, considering the price tag of less than $45,000, including destination fees.
Testers’ Favorite Features on the Best Mid-Size SUV – the Nissan Murano
The Nissan Murano’s comfort and roominess were a huge plus for most of the testers. Testers also pointed out Murano’s abundant cubbies and places to store items of varying sizes. Let’s face it, one of the main reasons people choose a mid-sized SUV is that they’re versatile and can be used to haul either people or cargo. The ability to still fit plenty of cargo while comfortably seating a family of five was a big perk for the testers. The fact that the seats stowed away easily and could be lifted by pushing a button also got good reviews.
The Murano also received the top nod for its quickness and power. While one of the reviewers expressed something bordering on dislike for variable continuous transmission (we couldn’t disagree more on that one point), she acknowledged that it didn’t stop the Murano from accelerating smoother and faster than any of the others in its class. Finally, safety features – especially the around view camera – played a big part in the reviewers’ scoring.
See for Yourself
Reviews like that conducted by Cars.com can be valuable, providing car buyers with expert opinions on vehicles they are considering. Still, the only way to really know which vehicle is right for you and your family is to take them for a test drive yourself.
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